


Holiday Travel

by Mettespo



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: Baghdad, Christmas, F/M, Fireworks, Fluff, Holiday, Hospital, Iraq, New Year's Eve, Plane, River Thames, Smut, Thames, Travel, Traveling, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:28:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21887392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mettespo/pseuds/Mettespo
Summary: Christmas 2009 - Mac is travelling to spend the holidays with her family. Plus 2 other holidays.
Relationships: Will McAvoy/MacKenzie McHale
Comments: 20
Kudos: 14





	1. Christmas Miracle

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short Christmas story, nothing special.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy it.

**Christmas Miracle**

New York City, 23. December 2009

The boarding queue was only slowly moving forward and Mac, who was almost the last person in line, sighed.

She had flown for almost eighteen hours from Islamabad, including a layover in Dubai, for two days of meetings with her employers in New York, and was now waiting for her flight to England, where she planned on spending her Christmas vacation. This meant another seven hours of flying she really wasn‘t looking forward to.

One day before Christmas Eve apparantly all of New York was at the airport to leave for the holidays, and half of them seemed to stand in line for her own flight. She was only glad that she had managed to get a window seat during the online check-in and hoped for some not too obnoxious seat neighbour, so that she could at least catch up on some much needed sleep.

Finally Mac reached the head of the queue and shifted her trolley and handbag from one hand to the other to show the boarding pass to the purser. Prepared to be waved through and pointed to her seat in the back of the plane, she was momentarily confused when the woman touched her arm and smiled.

„Miss McHale, please follow my colleague upstairs, you have been upgraded."

Well, that was a pleasant surprise and Mac broke into a thankful smile, not really caring why she had been chosen for this. Maybe someone had recognized her surname and remembered her father, the former British ambassador to the United Nations, although his time in that post had already passed quite a number of years ago. However, she was not going to question the airline‘s decision and happily followed a young flight attendant, who even offered to carry her hand luggage, which she declined.

Most of the seats in first class were already occupied and she was led to the front row, where she could see a free seat next to a blonde man, of whom she could only see the back of the head. When the flight attendant pointed at the seat and stepped aside to let her pass, Mac stopped dead in her tracks and paled.

She was looking into the face of Will McAvoy that was turned towards her, sporting a careful, nervous smile. Time seemed to be frozen, but when she saw that he opened his mouth to speak, she panicked and whipped around, her voice shaking. „I cannot sit here. I need to go to my regular seat.“

The stewardess shook her head. „That won‘t be possible, Miss McHale. After upgrading you the seat has been sold to somebody on the waitlist. The flight is fully booked.“

Mac‘s voice got higher and she agitatedly sputtered. „I can‘t sit here, I will trade with that person. He will be glad to get out of economy, I am sure there will be no problem and...“

Rambling on she missed Will quietly shaking his head at the flight attendant, who interrupted her with an apologetic smile. „I am so sorry, but we are already behind schedule and that would be too much commotion now. We are about to leave the gate, so please take your seat. I can bring you a glass of champagne if you like?“

Helplessly looking at her Mac finally resigned, still unable to form a coherent thought and only able to mutter „Better make it a whiskey.“

When the young woman smiled and went towards the pantry, Mac took a deep breath and slowly turned around to sit down, refusing to look at Will.

She was actually in shock and her brain seemed to be frozen. The only thought coming through was that this couldn‘t possibly be happening. Before she flew in from the Middle East she had tried to imagine what would happen if Will and she would cross paths in New York, but he was definitely the last person she had expected to meet here, on this flight.

Come to think of it… _What the hell_ _was he doing on a plane to London?_

She felt that Will was looking at her, but still had to meet his gaze. Eyes straight ahead her shoulders were rigid and her fingers clamped around her bag.

„Hello, MacKenzie.“

She jumped.

 _And w_ _hat were the odds of her_ _being upgraded to_ _a seat next to him?_

„You have arranged for this, haven‘t you?“

Will was quiet for a moment, but then he conceded to her suspicion. „Yeah...“

When she didn‘t reply he continued. „I‘m sorry.. I hope you‘re not feeling too uncomfortable.“ He swallowed hard. „I… I was actually hoping you might be glad to see me.“

Mac unbelievingly shook her head.  
Had somebody told her before her trip that she would meet Will during her visit to the Big Apple, she would have been elated. For more than eighteen months she had tried to get in touch with him, but he had not answered any of her calls nor answered any e-mail or text she had sent to him. Even a handwritten card for his birthday had been returned to her, so she had stopped writing. If he didn‘t want to have anything to do with her anymore, she had to respect that. (Of course that hadn‘t kept her from going to their usual lunch diner and their favourite restaurant for a dinner, hoping that she might run into him there.)

Now, though, she felt completely overwhelmed and unprepared, and she couldn‘t stop her voice from quivering.

„I guess I am, but… I understand that you don‘t want to have anything to do with me, and I don‘t quite know what to think right now.“ Will didn‘t reply, so after a moment she continued. „I will trade seats once I'm allowed to get up.“

Will sighed. „Don‘t, Mac. If you don‘t want to, we don‘t have to talk, but stay… Please….“

Again Mac didn‘t answer, but then she nodded and forced herself to relax into the seat. „For now.“

During their little exchange the plane had started to roll over the tarmac and the flight attendant came with her whiskey, which after a moment‘s thought she downed in one gulp. This situation could easily end in a desaster and she was certain that she was going to need it.

She felt Will‘s eyes on her, but for now he stuck to his offer of not talking. Still trying to calm down Mac appreciated that. She knew that this could be her chance to get him to listen to her, but not right this minute. First she had to get her head around the fact that she was sitting next to Will McAvoy, the man she had missed for so long.

They remained silent until the plane was in the air, but then Mac took a deep breath, feeling like she was about to jump into molten lava. „What are you doing here, Will? Why are you flying to London?“

He surprised her with a little, almost embarrassed laugh. „Actually, I am supposed to be on the plane to Lincoln right now. I guess I have to fed-ex the kid‘s Christmas presents from England.“

"What?“ Mac couldn‘t help but stare at him. „ _Why_...?“

Will openly looked back at her, but she saw that his words didn‘t come easy. „I‘ve been thinking about you lately, Mac, a lot. I‘m always thinking about you, but especially now, with Christmas and… Everything was just reminding me of the Christmas we spent together, and when I came to the airport and saw you in the check-in queue just now, it seemed to be a sign… I couldn‘t believe my eyes, I thought you were half way around the world, but it _was_ you.“ He shrugged. „I didn‘t know when I would see you again, so I got me a ticket and… well, here we are.“

Looking across the aisle she saw that the other couple was wearing headphones and was already engrossed in some kind of action movie, but still she lowered her voice. „What do you want to talk about, Will? I‘ve been trying to get you to listen _for months_ , but you‘ve just ignored me.“

„I‘m ready to listen now.“

She sighed, while her heart sped up another beat on top of the marathon it seemed to believe she was running since she first had seen Will. This was the moment she had been hoping for, and he seemed to be sincere, so she needed to make the best of it. Forcing herself to look at him she nodded, but still needed a few tries until she found the words.

„First of all, I‘m so, so sorry that I‘ve hurt you so immensely. And I‘m even more sorry about what I did in the first place. But the more I realised how serious we two were getting, I knew that there was no way I could _not_ tell you. I couldn‘t have lived with myself, and just imagine if you had found out much later into our relationship. I‘m just sorry that I had to hurt you in the process.“

„So why did you do it?“ He realized his question was ambiguous and clarified. „Why did you go back to him?“

She bit her lip and thought about how to phrase it so he would understand, but when she saw the hurt look in his eyes she just started to speak. „Because I was an idiot. At that point I still felt so incredibly humiliated by the way he dumped me, and I needed to proof to myself that it didn‘t happen because of _me_ or something I did, that he still wanted me“

When she saw Will‘s eyes darken she paused, but then forced herself to go on, her voice even quieter than before. „Of course that was stupid, I know that now. That he wanted me for a booty call didn‘t mean anything, but back then I didn‘t see it.“

After a moment of silence Will sighed. „What about me?“

Mac flinched. This would hurt him again, the last thing she wanted, but he had a right to know.

„It was right at the beginning, Will“ she reminded him. „We were just dating...“

„We weren‘t just dating!“ He interrupted her forcefully.

„In the beginning we were, though!“ Mac insisted. „You knew that I had just come out of a relationship, so you _must_ have known that I wasn‘t ready to stumble right into the next one, didn‘t you?“

„All I know is that I fell in love with you the first time we met.“

„Oh, Billy…“ A tear appeared in her eye, but she blinked it away. „I‘m _sorry_ that it took me longer. I‘m sorry that I didn‘t realize earlier that you are the one.“

Will slowly nodded. „I guess that‘s probably normal… But...When you told me… I was so angry with you; I couldn‘t think straight. And then...The longer you‘d been gone the more I‘ve missed you.“ He leaned back and looked straight ahead at the dark screen on the wall. „After a while I thought that maybe I should have given you the chance to explain, but I didn‘t know how to… I had deleted all messages without reading or listening to them, and I just couldn‘t call you, although I really wanted to talk to you. …“

Mac smiled tentatively, but then looked down at her hands. „I‘m glad you did. And I‘m glad you followed me on this flight.“

Another moment of silence passed between them, so it was an absolute surprise for Mac when she saw his left hand move slowly over and gently cover her own.

A small gasp escaped her and then, just as carefully, she turned her hand to entangle her fingers with his.

For a moment she closed her eyes to relish this feeling, the warmth of his strong hand that completely engulfed hers, which in some situations could appear intimidating, but right now did nothing else than make her feel safe. Finally she dared to look at him and was relieved to see his warm smile, which made her dare ask the next question.

„Do… Do you think… there is a chance… that you could… maybe forgive me? Somewhere down the road?“

Will‘s thumb softly caressed her skin. „I think I might be well on the way already.“

Tears sprang to Mac‘s eyes and she impatiently wiped them away with her free hand, but she didn‘t know what to say in return.

Finally Will spoke again. „The important question is: What do you want, Mac?“

Now she laughed unbelievingly and sat up straight. „What do _I_ want? What I‘ve always wanted since the moment I realized I had fallen in love with you. I‘ve never stopped, Will! The questions is, what _you_ want!“

He only hesitated for a short moment, but then his voice was firm. „I love you, MacKenzie, I‘ve never stopped either. And I want back what we had. I don‘t know if that is possible, but I‘d like to try.“

This time Mac couldn‘t hold back the tears and she didn‘t try to hide them. „That‘s all I want, too.“

They both leaned further back into their seats, hands still joint and the ensuing silence now comfortable, and for the first time Mac was able to just take Will‘s appearance in.

He had acquired a few grey hairs in his temples, the lines in his face appeared to be a little harsher, but he was still as handsome as she remembered him, and his gentle smile made her heart want to leap out of her chest.

She couldn‘t believe this turn of events; it had to be her personal Christmas miracle. _Was it possible to die of happiness?_

Then Mac was startled by Will, who had lifted the arm rest between their seats. „Come here.“

He opened his arms and she was all too glad to slide towards him and claim her usual, sorely missed spot on his chest, her hand next to her cheek. When he closed his arms around her shoulder a little snivel escaped her and she dug her fingers into his shirt, pressing herself even tighter against him.

They remained silent for a long time, just enjoying this familiar closeness, but finally Mac spoke again. „So… What are your plans for Christmas?“

„I have booked a hotel room while I was waiting for you to get here. At the Savoy.“

„Well... I know my parents will be delighted by all of this, so you will be more than welcome to stay with us. But...“ Mac let her hand trail up his chest and smiled teasingly. „...maybe we should keep that hotel room nonetheless...“

Will was mesmerized by the movement of her fingers and had to force himself to look away to meet her eyes. „Maybe we should...“

Leaning up Mac closed in further and whispered against his lips.

„Merry Christmas, Billy.“


	2. Not Just Another New Year's Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Year's Eve in London

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per popular request - A fluffy and smutty chapter addition
> 
> Please note that the rating has changed.

**Not Just Another New Year‘s Eve  
**

To say that Claire and Edward McHale had been surprised to see their daughter stepping into the airport‘s arrival hall together with Will McAvoy would be more than just a slight understatement, especially taking into account that his arm was looped around her shoulder and she was leaning into him.

When Mac had seen her parents a wide smile had spread across her face and she had whispered a few words to Will who then let go, staying a few steps behind her when she came to greet them.

After their first surprise they had adapted to the situation remarkably well and welcomed Will with open arms to spend Christmas with them.

Even though Edward had taken Will aside for a serious talk after they had arrived at their house, it had been a wonderful stay, and Mac and he had decided to spend the rest of the year in London as well.

As Mac had suggested Will had kept the room at the Savoy, although they had not made any use of it yet. However, this was supposed to change.

The plan for New Year‘s Eve was to go out for a nice dinner with Mac‘s parents – Will‘s treat – after which they would split up. While the older generation wanted to greet the New Year at home, the new-old couple intended to enjoy the official fireworks display over the Thames. What the McHales did not know, though, was that they wouldn‘t watch it from the banks of the river, together with the masses, but from the solitude of Will‘s suite at the Savoy, which offered a splendid view.

They arrived at the hotel at about ten o‘clock and went straight up to the suite, which Will had secured by a pro forma check-in on Christmas Eve before going to Mac‘s childhood home. Once they entered the room Will placed their overnight bag on the couch and turned around to take Mac into his arms.

„Welcome to my humble home away from home.“

Mac chuckled. „It‘s beautiful, Billy. I‘m glad you kept the room.“

„Me, too.“ He placed a soft kiss on her lips before he helped her out of her coat. „Would you like a drink?“

He couldn‘t see her shaking her head while hanging up their clothes, so she walked over to him and put her arms around him, leaning against his back. „No, thanks. Right now I‘m in the mood for something else.“

Will paused before he turned around in her arms and framed her face with his hands. „God, Mac...“

„I know...“ The whispered words were accompanied by a shy smile, but then she got on her toes and murmered against his lips. „Kiss me.“

Will was only to glad to comply with her request. The restraint they had exercised during the last days surely hadn‘t come easy, and what started out slow quickly turned into something more heated. Finally Mac, out of breath already, pulled back, and after a quick look around she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the bedroom.

When she turned on the lights she gasped. „Will!“

„You like it?“

„Of course, you old romantic, I love it.“

Will had called ahead and arranged for some extras – rose petals covering the bed, a champagne cooler with a bottle of Dom Perignon placed next to it and an array of candles placed all over the room, which he now quickly lit.

„You shouldn‘t have, though.“ Mac added. „Being here with you is more than enough.“

Will took her hand and led her towards the bed. „This is only a small fraction of what you deserve. I‘m so sor...“

„Ssshh...“ Lifting her finger to his lips she shushed him. „Don‘t. We have talked, we both have apologized and we are fine.“

„Still...“

„No, Billy.“ Mac shook her head. „Tonight it‘s just us, let‘s not spoil it.“

He nodded and let his eyes run over her body. „You look gorgeous tonight.“

„You‘re not too bad yourself.“ Mac murmered and appreciatively eyed him up and down. The earlier dinner had taken place at one of the fancier restaurants of London, so Will was wearing a tuxedo with a bow tie while she had put on a stunning little black dress that revealed much of her back.

Now she moved her hands to pull his tie open and slowly pushed the jacket from his shoulders. They had abstained from anything more than kisses and snuggling during the time at her parent‘s house, and now she didn‘t want to wait another minute.

Will seemed to share her sentiments and impatiently started to open the buttons of his shirt. Once finished he removed her hands from his belt and turned her around. With a longing sigh he let his fingers run down her naked skin before settling on the tab of the zipper. Slowly pulling it open a low groan followed when the full expanse of her back was exposed to his eyes.

When the dress was completely open he turned Mac back around. Before he could continue to undress her, though, she took a step back and did it herself, biting her lip while keeping his gaze.

Having seen the dress Will had already expected her to not wear a bra, but still he held his breath when she slowly uncovered her perky breasts. This was a sight he had only seen in his dreams for the last couple of years and was now drinking in.

When she shimmied the dress over her hips and let it glide down to the floor his mouth hung open. She wore delicate black lace string panties that hid hardly anything from his eyes. „Fuck...“

Although Mac knew that Will loved her, his reaction gave her more self-confidence and she stepped out oft her dress. While her hands went back to his belt, below which she could already see a noticable bulge, she leaned up. „Billy?“

She pressed a kiss to his chin. „I‘ve missed you so much...“ Another kiss. „Now I just want you.“

„Mac!“ Will bowed his head to capture her lips in a deep kiss. She let out a satisfied moan, and when he felt her open his pants and take his already half-hard cock into her hand, he answered with a long, desperate groan.

As much as he wanted to take it slow, having been given Mac‘s permission he knew that this first round would not be long. They had the whole night and could go slow later.

Leading her the last steps to the bed he lowered her down onto the mattress. „Scoot up.“

While she followed his instruction he quickly shed his pants and boxers and then just stared at her. Stroking his cock he let his eyes roam over her beautiful body, while Mac opened her legs and massaged her right breast before letting the hand wander down, her other arm stretched out towards him. „Come here.“

Will‘s brain had stalled, but luckily he was still capable of following her command, so he lay down next to her and stopped her fingers from reaching their intended goal. He bent down to suck on one of her taut nipples while his hand moved down to the vee of her legs.

His first touch elicited a desperate whimper from Mac, and her eyes were glazed over with arousal. She was so wet already, and when Will felt her hand return to his dick he unwittingly thrust into her hand, knowing that it wouldn‘t be long until he would be sheathed by her tight walls.

Mac was as impatient as he was, so she pulled him up for a kiss before rolling them both around. Sitting up she looked at him with hooded eyes, hands still stroking him. „Do you have a condom?“

„My pants...“ Will panted.

With a last squeeze she got up to grab them and found a foil package in the back pocket. Holding it up she teasingly smirked. „Only one?“

„There‘s more in the bag. Now come here.“ He was almost painfully erect by now and couldn‘t wait any longer, which his voice made perfectly clear.

Mac complied and settled back on his legs, where she opened the wrapper and slowly rolled the condom over his cock. Then she leaned down for another hot kiss, before she sat up again and placed herself over it, slowly sinking down. Biting her lip again she was able to contain her moan, but once she was filled she couldn‘t stop from gasping. She hadn‘t had any sex since their break-up and he was big, so she needed a moment to adjust to his size.

Bracing her hands on his chest she held still, her eyes on his, and only after a long moment she slowly started to roll her hips. „Fuck, Billy, this is… I‘ve missed this so much!“

„Yeah...“ Will was hardly capable to form any word, too focused on not losing it within the first few seconds of being inside her. This felt so unbelievingly good and conjured up so many memories, that he couldn‘t understand how he had been able to go on without her for so long. When she moved faster and lifted herself up to find a rhythm, he managed to hold on for another moment before he gave up and thrust upwards. „So… good!“

Placing his hands on her hips he guided her movements, speeding up more and more. Mac didn‘t resist, in fact she ground into him harder every time, and when he placed his thumb on her clit she let out a small cry.

Leaning back she held onto his thighs, changing the angle for both of them. „I‘m coming, Will, I‘m coming...“

Sweat gathered on his forhead and he drove into her even faster. When her walls gripped him incredibly tight he grunted „Come“. A moment later she did and he wasn‘t able to take his eyes off her petite frame. Thrusting up a couple more times he reached his climax as well, eliciting a low grunt.

Afterwards the room was filled with harsh panting and satisfied sighs, while Mac had sunk forward to lie on his chest. Their skin was sticky and hot, but nothing could tear him away from her now; except that he had to take care of the condom pretty soon.

Still, he indulged in one more moment of bliss, soothingly stroking his hands up and down her back, before he was finally ready to move. „Mac...“

She didn‘t react, so he placed a kiss on the top of her head. „MacKenzie, I really need to get up.“

She made an annoyed moan, but knew he was right, so she mustered the last of her energy to roll off him. With a last kiss he got up and quickly went to the bathroom to dispose of the condom.

When he came back Mac hadn‘t moved, and he sat down next to her, gently cooling her down with a warm wash cloth.

„Mmmh… Thanks.“ She sighed. „But come back to bed.“

Will checked the time, and when he saw that it was still about half an hour until the fireworks would start, he stretched out next to her again. Immediately Mac curled into him and placed her arm over his stomach. „I love you, Billy.“

„I love you, too, Honey.“ He toyed with her hair while keeping an eye on the clock, and twenty minutes later he took her hand and placed a kiss on her palm. „Mac, wake up.“

„‘m not sleeping...“ Her voice showed that she wasn‘t far from falling asleep, so he leaned down to press his lips against hers.

„Time to get up, it‘s almost midnight.“

„Oh… alright...“ Mac yawned, but rolled onto her back and lifted her arm to rub her eyes, fully exposing her glorious body to the man next to her. His hand automatically moved to touch her, but this time it was her who spoke. „No, Will, I want to see the fireworks.“

She laughed when she saw the slight pout on his face and sat up. „Later...“

With a last, promising kiss she climbed out of bed and got a couple of warm, fluffy bathrobes from the adjoining room. Will took one and put it on, following her into the living room.

For the first time he noticed the loud music playing outside and was surprised at the large number of people lining the banks of the Thames. „How many people are coming here for the fireworks?“

„I‘m not sure, but I think the numbers vary from 100.000 to 250.000 a year.“ Mac stood in front of the window to look outside. „Turn off the light, please.“

Will did as he was told, then picked something from his bag on the couch and placed himself behind her, putting his arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. Mac placed her fingeres over his, and they both watched the hands of the clock on Elizabeth Tower slowly move towards midnight.

At exactly 23.59 o‘clock Will lowered his head to nibble on Mac‘s earlobe. „Hon?“

Mac tilted her head up and smiled. „What is it, Sweetheart?“

„Look down, please.“ His voice sounded nervous, and she frowned at him before doing as he asked. Then she gasped. „Billy!“

He had turned his hand and she stared at a beautiful diamond ring he was holding between his fingers. „I love you, MacKenzie Morgan McHale, and I never want to spend another day without you. Will you marry me?“

Mac gasped and covered his shaking hand, looking at him with big eyes. „Where… Where did you get the ring?“

„I took the chance when you met your old friend from school a couple days ago. Your father recommended a jeweller.“ Right this moment the iconic Big Ben began to chime, greeting the New Year, and Will smiled nervously. „So, what do you say? Of course, if you need more ti...“

„Yes! Yes! Of course I am saying yes!“ Tears sprung to her eyes and she turned around to throw herself into his arms. „Oh, Billy...“

„Thank God!“ He buried his face in her neck and held her tight. „I love you, Mac, I love you so much.“

After a moment Mac pulled back and Will saw tears streaming down her cheeks. „I love you, too, Billy. Happy New Year!“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New year to all of you!


	3. What a Valentine's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to post this yesterday, but didn't quite make it.  
> (Actually, I planned to post this LAST Valentine's Day, but let's not talk about that...)
> 
> Still, I hope you enjoy, although it's not the Valentine's Day fluff you probably expect. Let me know!

**What a Valentine’s Day**

_Baghdad_

_February 14th, 2010_

The blast came out of nowhere.

Suddenly there was a blinding flash, immediately followed by the deafening noise of shattering glass and people screaming. Shards of all sizes were propelled through the air, steel fragments and other objects became deadly shrapnel, and the brunt of the explosion threw everyone to the ground.

Then there was nothing but darkness and silence.  
  


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A beeping sound lingered at the edge of consciousness, muffled voices could be heard, but nothing really penetrated the black, fuzzy cloud that surrounded everything. Any effort to move or at least open the eyes proved to be futile, and fleeting thoughts were impossible to be caught or held onto.

The beginnings of a panic rose, but an attempt to speak only resulted in a short, raspy groan.

„Honey, can you hear me?“

Finally, real words.

The voice that had spoken them sounded familiar, but no name came to mind. Then a small hand enveloped his, welcome warmth that conveyed at least a hint of comfort.

„Talk to me! Please, just say something… Anything!“

A sharp pain coursed through his body when he tried to move once more, and the darkness, that still surrounded him, thickened again. In the distance he could hear more words, but could not make out their meaning anymore, so he welcomed the thick cloud that pulled him back into sweet oblivion.  
  


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The next time he woke up he was more conscious.

After a moment he carefully opened his eyes, but even once they had adjusted to the dim light he still did not recognize his surroundings. He carefully turned his head, surveying the room, and it became clear that he lying was in a hospital bed.

A hand touched his arm, and immediately he felt calmer from the warmth of the contact alone, but still he could not make out any of the words that were said. A jackhammer was mercilessly hammering away inside his head, but he still turned it to the other side.

A woman was looking at him intently, her face anxious, but when he found her eyes, a watery smile showed on her face. „Billy, can you hear me?“

He blinked once, but didn‘t say anything.

„How do you feel? Are you hurting?“

He didn‘t dare move in fear of more pain, so he only whispered one word. „Head.“

Tears ran down on her face and she carefully lifted his hand to press her lips to his knuckles. „Oh Billy, I was so worried.“

„Who... are you?“

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  


_London_

_January 1st, 2010_

„ _I know you said you never want us to be apart again, but I do have contractual obligations.“_

_Will looked at Mac, disappointed, but he did see her point. „How long?“_

„ _End of June.“_

„ _Six months?“ He sighed heavily._

_She nodded and took his hand. „I‘m sorry, but I can‘t just go and quit. There is work to do, and I have never been one to not fulfill a contract.“_

„ _I understand.“ He took her hand and laced their fingers. „But I will miss you. And now that I have you back it will be worse than before.“_

„ _I know.“ Mac cupped his cheek with her free hand and leaned down for a kiss. „Believe me, if I had a choice…“ She sighed. „But we can talk on the phone and skype every day.“_

„ _Mmmh…“ Will thought for a moment, before he spoke. „Maybe I could visit you.“_

 _She looked surprised. „You want to spend your vacation in a_ war zone _? In winter?“_

„ _I’d rather take you to a Greek Island or Paris, maybe Rome, but seeing that you are here in London for ten days already, I assume you don’t have many vacation days left. Am I right?“ When she nodded he smiled. „How about Valentine’s Day?“_

_Mac’s eyes lit up. „Really? That soon? I would love that! I could try to get at least a couple of days off.“_

_Will smiled and playfully pushed her back down onto the mattress, covering her body while placing a searing kiss to her lips. „Deal."  
  
_

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Mac was distraught.

She had thought they would be considerably safe in Baghdad’s Green Zone, that‘s why she had insisted that they‘d stay there and not go to other parts of the city. She knew it was unlikely that anybody would recognize Will, but still… ACN International could also be received in Iraq, even if only over satellite TV, and Will was its most prominent anchor.

And now he was lying in a military hospital bed because of a bomb that had blown up in said Green Zone.

At first she had been frantic and beside herself, but luckily his injuries weren’t too severe. The doctors had assured her that his amnesia was a result of the trauma and would only be temporary, but she couldn’t help but feel responsible for everything that had happened.

She should never had agreed to him visiting her in a war zone, and she wasn’t even sure if he had told his boss, Charlie Skinner, where he would spend his vacation. He most certainly wouldn’t have gotten permission to go… She knew she had to call Skinner shortly, before he heard about his anchor from any other source, and she dreaded that call.

Mac realized that she should probably just get it over with and was about to get up to leave the room to make the call, when she felt Will stir. Immediately she took his hand again, and when he opened his eyes she smiled at him. „Hi, Billy.“

Will frowned and let his eyes roam across the room before he looked at her, his confusion still obvious. „Where am I? What happened? Who are…“ He paused. „I feel like I know you.“

Mac’s smile deepened, although a tear showed in the corner of her eye. It was the third time that he had woken up in the last twelve hours and the first time that he showed at least a hint of recognition. He seemed to be more alert than the first times, when he had fallen back into unconsciousness very quickly, so she dared to answer his questions.. „You do. I’m MacKenzie. Mac, your fiancée.“

She squeezed his hand. „Don’t worry, the doctor’s said you will remember.again soon. It’s the trauma.“

„What trauma? What happened?“

„We are in Baghdad. I’m working here and you came to visit me for Valentine’s Day. We were out for lunch when a bomb went off.“ Mac swallowed hard. „You’re pretty beat up, but it’s mostly superficial where you’ve been hit by shrapnel. Except that you have a concussion and will probably have a scar on your stomach, where an iron rod ended up in your body…“

Will remained silent while he tried to process this information. Suddenly his eyes widened and his hand moved to his face.

Mac shook her head, before he could even ask the question. „Your face is fine, a few bruises, but no permanent damage.“

He looked relieved. „Good, so my career is saved.“

Mac’s heart skipped a beat at his words. „You know that you’re a TV anchor?“

„I guess…“ Will furrowed his brows, as if he hadn’t even thought about his previous remark. „Yeah, I work on TV. I have my own show, right?“

„You remember!“ She couldn’t hide her excitement. „What else do you remember?“

When he shook his head she lifted his hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles to hide the disappointment she felt, although she knew that she had to be patient. „That’s okay. The doctor said that your memory will come back within the next days, don’t worry.“

This time he nodded, although he was obviously in distress. „How are you? You said you were also in the explosion; are you alright?

„Just a few bruises and scratches. I was sitting behind a pillar that shielded me from most of the blast. Unfortunately you weren’t as lucky.“ Mac’s expression hardened. „No, I mustn’t say that. You were very lucky. There have been several casualties and many more who are critically injured. Nobody has taken responsibility for the attack yet.“

Will’s face darkened and he closed his eyes. After a long while he quietly mumbled „I’m tired...“

„Then go to sleep.“ Mac shushed him and let her fingers softly run through his hair. „I’ll be here when you wake up."  
  


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Will slept peacefully for hours, and Mac was glad. She knew that only time and rest would help him, and she used the time to take care of some things.

Among others she had called Charlie Skinner, who, as she had thought, was taken by complete surprise at the news of his top anchor being in Iraq, let alone having been injured in a terrorist attack. Despite that he had taken it all in a stride, and Mac had gotten a sense of how much he cared for Will on a personal level.

Back at the hospital she was able to relax at least a little for the first time since the bomb had gone off, and she used the time to think about everything that had happened.

Only now, after the first adrenaline rush had died down, it _really_ hit her how lucky they had been. The future they were so much looking forward to, could have been over, simply because they had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Life was short and they had wasted so much of it already, which was the one thought that kept running through her mind.

The day was coming to an end and she was still deep in thought, when Will woke up again. „Mac?“

His hand searched for hers on the cover and she quickly reached out to catch it. „I’m here, Billy. How are you feeling?“

„Okay, I think.“ He looked at her and she noticed that his eyes were more alert. „Are you okay? What the fuck happened at that restaurant? Do they know who’s responsible?“

Mac’s breath hitched. Was his memory back?

„Will? Do you know who I am?“

He smiled and nodded. „You’re my Mac. MacKenzie McHale.“ Then he closed his eyes again and sighed. „Fuck, it feels good to remember.“

Tears sprang into Mac’s eyes and she didn’t try to stop them. She had held it together since the explosion, and even though the doctors had said that Will would be alright, only now that she knew he was was really himself again, she could finally allow herself to break down. She pressed her head against his shoulder and sobbed into the sheets, and all Will could do was put his arm around her and place soft kisses into her hair. „There there… It’s alright, Honey, we’re fine.“

She nodded, but couldn’t stop the tears just yet. Her relief was just too overwhelming and she had to let it out. Only after several minutes she took a deep breath and lifted her head. „I’m just so happy.“ She sniffed. „The doctors said your memory would come back, but I had to see it with my own eyes.“

„I know… And you are really alright?“ He sounded worried, but relaxed when Mac smiled.

„Yes, I just have a few scratches.“ Mac leaned in until her face was only a few inches from his. „I love you, Billy.“

„I love you, too.“ Will put his hand to the back of her head and pulled her down into a soft kiss, which she returned wholeheartedly, but then she moveed back a little.

„I’m sorry.“

„For kissing me?“ He looked confused again.

„Shut it… Of course not; I’m sorry for dragging you here. It’s my fault that...“

„Stop it, Mac.“ Will didn’t even let her finish. „You didn’t drag me anywhere. I said I would visit you, remember?“

„Still…“

He cut her off again. „Don’t. And speaking off… Is it still Valentine’s Day?“

When Mac nodded he gave her another kiss. „I’m sorry the day went like this. How long will I have to stay in here?“

„Probably another couple of days. I have talked to Charlie Skinner, by the way. He said you should get back on your feet again as soon as possible, and he would take care of getting you back to the States. Preferably in one piece.“

She had to laugh when Will pulled a face. „Was he very angry?“

„Rather surprised, but he took it pretty well. He seems to be a nice guy.“ He smiled, but before he could say anything, Mac went on. „Billy… I will be going back to New York with you.“

Will frowned. „But… what about your contract?“

She shook her head. „I’m done here. I was stupid to come back here in January, look at what happened.“

„No.“ Will shook his head. „You’ve said in January that you are doing important work here, and you are right. This was just life happening; I knew coming here bears a risk.“ He squeezed her hand. „I will be waiting for you in New York.“

„No.“ Mac was determined. „We have wasted way too much time already. I want to come home, and with what happened nobody will insist on me staying here. In fact, I have already talked to CNN, and they are fine with it..“

„Really?“ A big smile slowly showed on his face. „Then I guess it’s a wonderful Valentine’s Day after all.“

**Author's Note:**

> I wish you all a very merry Christmas!


End file.
